The right to kill yourself

OTTAWA (CP) - A retired businessman who plans to kill himself Friday evening, says he wants to publicize the right to die with dignity.



"I'm trying to get lots of publicity for the dying," Marcel Tremblay said as he entered a lawyer's office in downtown Ottawa.


The 78-year-old, who suffers from an incurable lung condition, insisted in media interviews that he would stick to his plan to commit suicide.


He and family members called on lawyer Lawrence Greenspon on Friday morning.


Greenspon, a prominent local attorney, says suicide is legal in Canada, provided the person doesn't receive help from someone else. Assisting suicide carries a penalty of up to 14 years in prison.


The lawyer said earlier he will ensure that Tremblay's family, who plan to be present when he dies, won't be charged in the death.


Ottawa police had no immediate comment.


Tremblay said he would hold a wake with 50 friends and relatives and enjoy a last meal before killing himself in his suburban home.


He planned to pull a helium-filled bag over his head and suffocate.


Tremblay, a right-to-die advocate, has a number of health problems, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung condition that leaves him unable to breathe properly.


"It's supposed to kill me, but it's taking too damn long," he said. "I can't think of a worse death than not being able to breathe."


He said doctors hold out no hope, saying his condition will get worse and worse.


He began planning his death about three months ago when he decided he wasn't going to live in pain any longer.


Tremblay readily admits he hopes his death will have an impact because he feels strongly that people should have the right to decide when they die.


"I want to make as much noise about this as I can."



Thought this was interesting and some of yall might have a few opinions on this matter.

I honestly don't know why it is illegal to commit suicide. If your in enough pain to kill yourself, why should you be made to suffer? I have ALWAYS said if I got some shit that was gonna kill me slowly, I'd try to live my life to it's fullest and when it starts getting really painful.........BOOM bullet goes in the head. I'll be damned if I'm gonna suffer if I ain't got to. But that's just my thoughts.

I think you have the right to do yourself in, especially if you have a terminal illness and would prefer not to suffer and be hooked up to a machine in pain for your last 6 months.

I thought it was odd that he said that he planned to put a helium filled bag over his head and suffocate, but also said that he couldn't imagine a worse death than not being able to breathe....

He's a prima donna.

Aside from that, he can take the cowards way and kill himself if he wishes. Anyone can. However, no insurance company should ever pay a dime out because of it. Widows and family members should receive no social security benefits and all pensions should be null and void.

I agree with you Yogs, for a healthy individual.

But consider an adult individual that has a terminal illness and knows with certainty that they will be dead within a year, and for the majority of that year they not really be living, being hooked up to machines, suffering incredible constant pain, or somesuch.

Isn't that a different case?

Not really. Sure the person is more sympathetic, but its not all that different. As I said before, I think they should have the righ to do what they want with their body, but they don't get to manipulate insurance, SS or pensions by taking that route.

And don't forget, you read all the time about someone who was given x number of years to live but lives long past what the prognosis was.

I wouldn't want my family worrying about me for the six months, go on ahead and end your suffering along with your entire family. Would you like to suffer for 6 months or a half a second if that long. THink about it dude, why waste your money hooked up to a machine spending like a grand or more a day to keep a vegetable alive, I mean damn you can't even tell your family members goodbye or anything, at least if you put a bullet in yer head you can have a little reasurance knowing that they knew that you loved them or something. It's common f*cking sense ..................DON'T SUFFER WHEN YOU AIN'T GOT TO!!!

Think about how often that occurs. Once in a blue moon. For that reason, you appoint an advocate. As an example, both my mother and father have signed a Do Not Resuscitate Order and appointed me as the advocate. Its my job to let them go peacefully if they are on life support with no chance of survival.

Again, if you want to kill yourself GO RIGHT AHEAD (and I don't mean I want anyone in this thread killing themselves). I only point out that they should not be able to take advantage of death benefits. The family, of course, keeps what it has, but life insurance companies don't have to pay, social security doesn't have to pay and any pension plans (depending on how they are written) don't have to pay.

Not really. Sure the person is more sympathetic, but its not all that different. As I said before, I think they should have the righ to do what they want with their body, but they don't get to manipulate insurance, SS or pensions by taking that route.

And don't forget, you read all the time about someone who was given x number of years to live but lives long past what the prognosis was.



Of COURSE there's the case where someone lives inexplicably for several years or makes a miraculous recovery; but those are out of the ordinary.

How is a suicide today different than death 6 months or a year from today on the paperwork? It's a matter of a year; the person has still worked for x number of years and earned their SS benefits, suicide doesn't change the amount they've put away or are entitled to at that point; their pension might be slightly reduced since they've got less time in service, but they've earned that also.

The only place I'd definitely agree with you is in the case of a life insurance policy, as there is a bunch of room there for manipulation and chicanery.

The same reasons a suicide can manipulate insurance is the same reason it can manipulate social security and some pension plans. Its not that I don't want them to get the money they earned, but checking out early give surviving family members money you didn't earn. So, thats why I pool them together.

I guess there are folks out there who would work the system up until the day they die, and would rather pick the day to work it to the max. Makes sense in a way.

I agree it's cowardly (train wreck guy)

Now philisophically -- take away the paperwork, and any system which the person could manipulate to their advantage, any family that would suffer due to the event, leaving only the person and their right - or not - to commit suicide. Do they have that right?

I did a debate about euthanasia last year in my Government class and you'd be surprised by the numbers and facts. There are several things to know but I'm not going to go into them.

I think euthanasia is wrong and a majority of the family should make the decision to pull the plug and not the person. If the person wants to die and the majority of the family agrees with the demand then I think it's ok.

The thing is when you are expected to die in six months the doctors will put you on one heck of a morphine trip so there won't be much pain and you'll be very relaxed. There isn't much, if any, suffering by the person during their finale moments.

The way i see it.. Free Will, you can do whatever you want.

I kinda know what i'm talking about, sadly my grand father gassed himself in a car because of a seperation(1981). And my uncle overdosed on pills and killed himself (june2004).

I can't imagine having my father kill himself (which my uncle experianced) and live with that sadness. BUT, i don't think i can ever bring myself to suicide.

My feeling towards this....well, the way i see it.. They did what they wanted to do, so let it be. I'm not mad...

Maybe this is why the movie Solaris is my favorite movie, cause it deals with a suicide. And it asks a question, which many of us would probably NOT turn down.

BTW, i do feel that it's sick to indanger OTHER people.. Like that sick a-hole with the train, what a jerk..

The thing is when you are expected to die in six months the doctors will put you on one heck of a morphine trip so there won't be much pain and you'll be very relaxed. There isn't much, if any, suffering by the person during their finale moments.


There are levels of pain that no amount of drugs will quash. Well they could but that's called overdose.

There are levels of pain that no amount of drugs will quash. Well they could but that's called overdose.

That is the thing most doctors do though. They'll put you on an insane about of drugs to keep you peaceful. If you OD then it's not that bad because an overdose of morphine is a very peaceful way to die as to sitting there and let the cancer take you.

I see things as a win win situation. It's sad the person dies but they'll be feeling good with the morphine. If they happen to OD on it then they went peacefully and didn't die a horrible death.

Tough one. Do people have the right to kill themselves? I guess if they are terminal they can do what they wish. I agree with Yogs on the insurance company not having to pay out in that case. If the insurance company did have to pay out in case of suicide then I think the suicide rate would rise dramaticaly. Not that people would be killing themselves but others would kill them and make it look like suicide to collect. As for pensions..let them have it. They earned it.

Well. Just never overdose on tylenol. Acetaminophin or whatever its called... it'll be the worst 4-5 days of horror pain and misery you will ever experience. You could shoot yourself up with morphine all you want, but it won't help - you're body wont be able to metabolize it.


Anyway. I feel that if one is past his or her prime, and is dying of a painful incurable illness, then they should have all the right in the world to off themselves. AND the families should get the full SS and pension benefeit, and perhaps a reduced insurance benefeit. if you KNOW you're going to die anyway within the next year, what does it matter?

This is a good debate.
I believe several issues are at work here.
I agree with Steel. Government benefits should still be relevant becuase it shoul make no difference how the person dies.

Insurance policies are private contacts. At present, I believe all suicides are not covered in payouts as a clause in almost all life insurance policies. This is clearly indicated on the contract, and IMHO it should not change.

The debate here is assisted suicide. The law is not about to do something about an individual who kills themself, but it can charge those who assist in such an endevour. I have two beloved but extremely infirm and elderly relatives who would like to die, if they could. I could not bear to see them go that way, and there are so many ways assisted suicide could be abused, by beneficiaries of the will, or medical practitioners, through maniplation of the elderly, (who may be in a weakened suggestible frame of mind that they might agree to an assisted suicide).

Furthermore, what about the depressed but otherwise healthy person. Does mental (and not physical illness) constitute sufficient misery that they cannot go on with life? Or are all suicidal people mentally ill?
The potential for abuse of legal assisted suicide is substantial. I believe it should be like illegal drug use. It must be legally and morally opposed by society, but if you must do it, there will be means available to do so.

About insurance policies covering suicide.. thats a tough one. A certain family which I was friends with, lost their daughter in 2003. She hung herself in her bedroom. The family was thrown for a loop. It was an awful thing to happen. She was just 17, and she did it over a boy. In this type of scenario, life insurance policies should be there to help the family out. When your daughter kills herself, you simply can not function. You can not go to work and do your job. You can not enjoy anything. This is different than an 80 year old man killing himself because of a terminal illness, but its in the same ballpark. Or at least the same league. I never did ask the family about their insurance policy, it obviously was not something that I even thought of talking with them about.
But back to the case in point. The man who plans to suffocate himself because he cant imagine a horrible death of dying from not being able to breathe... his insurance policy in my opinion as well, should not pay out. At first I thought it would be fair to pay out if the doctor gives a life expectancy of less than a year or so, but then again, a doctor is a human as well and can be tied to insurance scams just as any other person could be.
Having the right to kill yourself though.. that is a complicated issue. Of course they cant punish you once youve done it, but it is unfair to society to make them deal with the aftermath. If you put a bullet through your head in your own home because life just cant go on... that is not fair. Somebody is going to have to clean that up. Somebody is going to have to pay for it. Someone has to pay for your funeral. Someone has to sell your home, your car, your personal posessions, notify your family, etc. etc. If you are in good physical health, but cant imagine living your depressing life anymore, there are other ways to solve it. Tell somebody that you feel like killing yourself. Go to a hospital and tell them seriously. Explain why. There are people that know how to help. In that respect, even though you cant be punished for killing yourself, it should be, as MagicRat said, "legally and morally opposed by society". But if you are terminally ill, and are willing to forego any insurance benefits, and are willing to plan all the details out before you do it, then I say why not. It should be legal if it is planned and dealt with properly. In which case, I believe social security, and pension plans, etc. should still be carried out as normal, because it is something that the person has earned over their life. Not something that they are earning because of their death.

The scariest part was how the old guy plans to do it - by sticking his head inside a large bubble/bag filled with helium. I've heard before that if you inhale too much helium and it gets to your brain it can mess you up. You sure won't catch me shooting up party balloons again (I used to do like 4 in row... sorry kids, no more)

EDIT: cut off before I finished!
Was going to say the aspect that worries me about doctor/non-doctor assisted suicide is when other people use if for selfish benefits (trying to get early inheritance or perhaps clout with some family member out of the way etc…). If assisted suicide is ever legally condoned I think it should be required that the process be thorough and well announced – in the sense you couldn’t go see Dr. Nick on Friday evening and be found dead in your bed Saturday morning. The process should involve planning and be kept in the open (not necessarily as big as this particular fellow is doing with the media, but at least we KNOW he’s sincere and not being influenced by anyone else).

As for the moral and religious implications of assisted suicide/suicide in general, having known a family member who suffered terribly during the last stages of cancer I can’t help feel that if a situation is certain to get worse and mercy would be the only relief, then the option should at least be available. But then you’ve got the argument of just how much one has to be suffering. Personally I think this old chap on TV looks to be in nowhere near the amount of bedridden pain and suffering my relative was in. Should people be forced to get to that point before the option is available? (is that cruel to make them wait?). What if a miracle occurs and they suddenly get better? Should you be able to take your life if you are merely inconvenienced in your day to day actions?

IMO, the principle in its simplest form should be acceptiable – but it cannot be made simple if legislated for our own safety.

I honestly don't know why it is illegal to commit suicide. If your in enough pain to kill yourself, why should you be made to suffer? I have ALWAYS said if I got some shit that was gonna kill me slowly, I'd try to live my life to it's fullest and when it starts getting really painful.........BOOM bullet goes in the head. I'll be damned if I'm gonna suffer if I ain't got to. But that's just my thoughts.


i disagree.. i'd never kill myself no matter how bad/painful shit got. Just drug me up or something, killing yourself is the cowards way out. Straight pussy thing to do.

but that just my opinion...

Good for him.

"I can't think of a worse death than not being able to breathe."
Anybody find it funny that he says this about his disease, but he plans to suffocate himself?
It's his mistake, so let him have it.